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RESEARCHES AND TRANSACTIONS 

OF 

THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL 
ASSOCIATION 



LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER 

ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



The Archeology of the 
Genesee Country 



FREDERICK HOUGHTON, M. S. 




PUBLISHED BY LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER 

ROCHESTER, N. Y. 

1922 



NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. 

Morgan Chapter, Rochester, N. Y. 

OFFICERS, 1922 

President — Alvin H. Dewey, 

440-444 Powers Building. 

First Vice President — Mrs. Frank F. Dow, 

429 Park Avenue. 

Second Vice President — LeGrand Brown, 

City HaU. 

Secretary — Walter H. Cassebeer, 

84 Exchange Street. 
Treasurer — Edward D. Putnam, 
Municipal Museum, Exposition Park. 



Publications of Morgan Chapter. 

Vol. I — No. I — A Prehistoriclroquoiau Site, Illus. - - $1.00 

By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, M. S., N. Y. State Archeologist. 
Vol. I— No. 2 — A Contact Period Seneca Site, Illus. - 1.00 

By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, M. S., N. Y. State Archeologist. 
Vol. I — No. 3 — The Morgan Centennial Celebration at 

Wells College, Aurora, Illus. - - - - 1.00 
By Prof. Roland B. Dixon, of Harvard University. 
Vol. II — No. 1 — The New York Indian Complex and 

How to Solve It, Illus. 1.00 

By Dr. Arthur C. Parker, M. S.. Secretary of the N. Y. State 

Indian Commission and Archeologist of the State Museum. 
Vol. n— No. 2 — Western New York under the French - 1.00 
By Frank H. Severance, Secretary Buffalo Historical Society. 
Vol. II — No. 3 — Treaty Making with the Indians and 

the Kon-on-daigua Peace Congress - 1.00 
By George P. Decker and Charles F. Milliken. 
Vol. II — No. 4 — An Iroquois Twentieth Century Cere- 
mony of Appreciation, Illus. - - - - 1.00 
By Robert Daniel Burns. 
Vol. Ill — No. 1 — The Founders of the New York Iroquois 

League, and Its Probable Date - - - 1.00 
By Rev. Wm. M. Beauchamp, S. T. D., LL. D. 
Vol. m — No. 2 — The Archeology of the Genesee Country 1.00 
By Frederick Houghton, M. S. 



Vol III. 



No. II 



RESEARCHES AND TRANSACTIONS 

OF 

THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL 
ASSOCIATION 



LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER 

ROCHESTER, N. Y. 

The Archeology of the 
Genesee Country 

BY 

FREDERICK HOUGHTON, M. S. 




PUBLISHED BY LEWIS H. MORGAN CHAPTER 

ROCHESTER, N. V. 

1922 



The Times Presses, Canandaigua, New York. 



THE 
ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

By FREDERICK HOUGHTON, M. S. 

From the earliest times the broad, beautiful valley of the 
Genesee river has furnished a convenient and easily traveled 
road from the Great Lakes to the Allegheny river; and the 
Finger Lakes region, immediately contiguous and easily reached 
from the Valley, provided an equally convenient and accessible 
road to the streams tiowing into the Atlantic. There is small 
wonder, then, that the Valley and the country about it, the 
Genesee Country of the early colonials, were utilized freely from 
earliest times by restless, ever-shifting, primitive hunters and 
fishermen. Nor need we wonder that the fertile and delectable 
lands of the Genesee Country would attract to them those more 
sedentary nations whose people depended for their subsistence in 
some measure upon their farms. That these aboriginal nations 
of hunters, fishers and farmers must have left some vestiges 
of their existence there was inevitable ; and, in truth, the whole 
of that country yields abundant remains of the Indians who once 
inhabited it. Sandy knolls yield scattered flakes of chert, the 
refuse from the manufacture of an arrow point by some needy 
hunter; occasional chert points or carefully polished stone 
liatchets are turned up by some plowman in his fields, fresh from 
the hands of the hunters who lost them. Small areas on the 
terraces of streams or the shores of lakes yield abundant points, 
axes and primitive ornaments, the sites, seemingly of some small 
hunters ' camps ; and high plateaus above streams, even the 
crests of the highest hills, occasionally show discolored areas of 
soil, from which may be gathered yearly great (luantities of 
animal bones, charcoal, curious clay potsherds, simple tools 
and ornaments made from bone, antler, or shell, and occasionally 
articles of brass, iron and glass. In a few instances the early 
settlers noted that these areas were circumscribed by eartlien 
embankments; and at one place in the Valley sucli an embank- 
ment still persists. 

Careful study of these archeological remains has yielded a 



40 THE AlRiCeBOL/OGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRYi 

rather definite idea of the culture of the people who produced 
them, aud iu most cases of their identity. Their life, their customs, 
their movements in the Genesee Country, and even the migrations 
which brought them to it, have been -made clear. 

A carelul scrutiny of collections of Indian articles found 
in the (Jenesee Country, combined with a field study of the 
various sites, shows that there are represented at least two 
different types of people; and comparison of these collections 
with those in other parts of the country shows that these two 
types can safely be said to be, one of Iroquoian, the other ot 
Alg(»nkian, origin. The Seneca nation of the Iroquoian people 
is known to have occupied the Genesee Country from recent 
historic times back to the middle of the seventeenth century, 
and most of the articles of Iroquoian type can be ascribed to 
these Senecas. At no time within the historic v period have 
Algonkian peoples been domiciled in the Genesee Country, 
excepting in a few isolated settlements where dwelt captives of 
some Algonkian nation. Yet so much do some articles resemble 
tliose iu undoubted Delaware territory, that there can be no 
doubt that these Algonkian articles originated with wandering 
bauds of Belawares. 

The time during which the Senecas occupied this territory 
may be divided into several rather sharply defined periods. Of 
these the latest is that period between 1779 and lS2b, when 
they sohl their last remaining lands in the Genesee C^ountry and 
removed thence. This is historic, however, rather than 
andieologic. 

Next earliest is the period between 1779 and 1G87, from the 
devastation of their country by General Sullivan back nearly a 
century to an ecpially complete devastation by Governoi 
Denonville. Next earliest is a short period from 1687 to 1057, 
during which Christian missions were established there. Before 
this a period from 1657 to about 1615 includes that time during 
whicli the Senecas were just coming into contact with Europeans ; 
and previous to 1615 is a long period during which the Senecas, 
in a Stone Age culture, were migrating into their historic home- 
lauds on the Genesee. 



THE ARCHEOILOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 41 

The Senecas of the Pre-European Period. 

The occupancy of the Genesee Country by the Senecas is 
marked by numerous ■ village sites, all bearing the same 
characteristics, and all showing not only the entrance of the 
Senecas into their historic homelands but the early movements 
which led them there. 

Of the very latest of the pre-European sites there are 
three, possibly tour, two in the Bristol valley, seemingly the 
predecessors of the later sites on the Fox farm and the Marsh 
farm ; one on the lioneoye outlet, seemingly the predecessor ol 
the later i-i actory iiollow site ; and one on the iiemlock outlet, 
possioly tlie predecessor oi the later Tram site. All these sites 
are capable of successful defence, one being a typical hill top 
fort, tlie others being on high terraces in angles between streams. 
All are marked by refuse earth, containing bone articles, 
triangular points and potsherds showing the "chevron" design, 
tiius being unmistakably Iroquoian. 

The Andrews site is typically Seneca in its situation. Like 
the later sites at Victor and the Tram farm, it occupies the crest 
of a high hill, depending for a water supply upon springs ai 
the base of the hill. The surface is partly under cultivation, 
[)ailly in old pasture. The cultivated portion is marked by 
numerous ureas of refuse earth, which have yielded a compara- 
tively small number of triangular Hint points, bone awls, pot- 
sherds and clay pipe fragments. No systematic archeological 
work has ever been done on the site and almost nothing is known 
about it. 

On a high terrace on the opposite side of the Bristol valley 
is the Bliss site. This is partly in crop, partly in orchard. The 
soil of the cultivated portion shows numerous refuse heaps which 
yield a few articles. Graves have been found in the orchard, 
but no systematic work has been done there and almost nothing 
is known about it. 

There is every reason to believe that these two sites, neither 
of which shows the slightest intercourse with Europeans, are 
the immediate predecessors of the Fox site, and therefore 
probably of the Beal and Victor sites. They are in the same 



42 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

valley, distant but a i'ew miles and are characteristically ol' 
Seneca origin. 

The liek'her site occupies a high terrace oi lloneoye outlet 
at a point where a deep ravine debouches into the valley of that 
stream. It is, and ior a long time has been, under cultivation, 
precluding any detailed collection of articles from its surface, 
yet there ate seemingly deep refuse heaps, some of which stream 
duwn the sides of the ravine. A few graves were excavated by 
ilie writer on its eastern edge, but no articles had been burica 
with tne bodies, liesides a careful study and some excavation 
i)y the writer no systematic work has ever been done here, anci 
little is known about it ; yet there seems every reason to believe 
that it is of pre-European iSeneca origin. From its location ii 
seems to be tne predecessor of the Taff site and the i'actory 
Hollow site, both of whicii aie in the same valley but a few 
miles away. 

A few miles to the southwestward near Richmond Mills is 
a great site on the Keed farm. This remarkable site occupies 
a nigh plateau above the Hemlock outlet. On its northern sicie 
IS a deep ravine occupied by a strong stream and on its soutlu-rn 
edge a smaller stream has cut a shallow ravine, lioth these 
streams debouch into the Hemlock. 

The area thus circumscribed is littered with the waste of a 
large village. Deep refuse heaps blacken the ground and huge 
masses of refuse earth stream down the sides of the ravines. 
Systematic work by various persons has resulted in the rescue 
from the accumulation of waste of a great number of extremely 
interesting articles. 

The site was recognized by its first wdiite owner, Mr, Reed, 
as au Indian village, and when he took possession a wide clearing 
and fruit trees showed evidence of recent occupancy. II is 
grandson, Alva Keed, and a neighbor, Mr. Barnard, collected 
lor years li'oni the surface and accumulated a large number oi 
beautiful articles mainly of bone and antler. Later, Mr. Parker, 
State Archeologist, excavated refuse heaps, and the writer 
discovered a small cemetery, the bodies in which were un- 
accompanied by articles. 

The most systematic and valuable work done on this site 
uas undertaken by Mr. Alvin 11, De^vey, of Rochester, who made 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 43 

careful and extensive excavation of the refuse heaps. From 
them he gathered a vast number of beautiful, interesting and in 
many cases unique articles, all of pre-European Iroquoian origin. 
Some of these are in his possession ; others are in the State 
Museum at Albany, as are the collections of Mr. Reed and 
Mr. Parker. Plate I, Plate lA. 

Conforming strictly to the Iroquoian culture, all these 
collections go to show the villagers to have made abundant 
use of bone and antler in making implements and weapons, and 
a comparatively smaller use of stone. Excepting small, keen 
triangular arrow points made of chert, which are abundant, stone 
was used very little. There arc a few rude pipes made of brown, 
coarse sandstone, a very few rude beads and many pebbles 
modified for use as hammers. Plate I, j, k, 1, and m, shows 
four of these rude pipes. 

The pottery jars fabricated by the people of the Reed site 
are strictly Iroquoian in character, that is, they show the 
characteristic bands of decoration along their rims, in which 
occur triangles filled with parallel lines. These decorations differ 
from those on pottery of later sites in having at several points 
along the rim crude and highly conventionalized effigies of the 
human face. These are rather characteristic of pottery of the 
eastern Iroquois, but rare amongst the western branches. Plate 
I-a shows a few of these many forms. 

A few well made and decorated pipes made of clay have 
been found in the refuse of the Reed site. Amongst these is one 
well made square-topped pipe of the typical Iroquoian pattern 
(Plate I, e). Other pipes were decorated with exceedingly 
cleverly molded human heads (Plate I, b, c, d and g). Figure f 
in the same plate shows a very clever conception of a Avild 
cat's head. 

Of the numerous articles made of bone, awls are particularly 
abundant, and in the main arc beautifully made. They range 
in size from tiny, keen, needle-pointed, sewing awls, to great 
bodkins a foot long, evidently used in bark working or 
basket making. (Plate II and Plate III.) Bone needles 
are also abundant, mainly long, flat, thin strips of bone, double 
pointed, perforated in the middle and highly polished. These 
were probably used in making snowshoes (Plate III, fig. a, b 



44 THE AIIOHBODOGY OF THE GHNiBSBB COUNTRY 

and c). Good fisliinj^ in Hemlock lake and its outlet is 
evidenced by many finely made bone fish hooks (Plate IV). Beads 
and pendants made of bone or teeth are extremely abundant. 
Very curious, indeed, are certain large molars, so cut that they 
represent a human foot. Very peculiar and interesting is a 
very large and massive article made of bone, carefully worked 
and polished to the shape of a short heavy horn. 

Antler was extensively fabricated for various purposes. 
Harpoon points recall the spring fishing in the creek (Plate V), 
and numerous arrow makers' punches recall the abundant chert 
points. One arrow point made of antler in the usual triangular 
shape was found ; and antler points in various stages of manu- 
facture occur (Plate VI). 

Most beautiful and artistic of the articles made of antler 
are hair ornaments, of which Mr. Dewey was fortunate enough to 
secure several. These dilTer from the carved combs found on 
the later sites in that they are evidently carved with primitive 
stone tools. The teeth are two, three, four or five in number, 
set far apart and each one carved in the round. They bear 
carved ornament, mainly p(>rforated. A very fine one is shown in 
Plate VIA. One has as a motif a long-billed bird, wot)dcock 
perhaps, properly placed for eflPective design. Another has two 
animals facing each other, a favorite design of the later 
villagers (Plate VII). These hair ornaments are un- 
doubtedly the primitive precursors of the more elaborate but 
no more artistic combs of the later villages; and the finding of 
these primitive ornaments in the refusfe of an indubitable pre- 
P^uropcan site settles definitely the question, many times disputed, 
whether these combs or hair ornaments were of Indian or 
European origin. 

The location of this remarkable site at the southern end of 
a series of indubitable Seneca sites, correlated with its un- 
doubtedly Ir()(|uoian artifacts, makes it seem a Seneca site; 
and it has been uniformly so considered. Mr. Parker and 
Mr. Dewey consider it the type village for Seneca culture. The 
writer has gone on record as considering it of Seneca origin; yet 
always there exists a more than reasonable doubt that this is so. 
Undoubtedly, judged by its location only, it should be Seneca: 



THE AIROHBOLOOY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 45 

for its articles preclude its having been of any origin but 
IrOquoian, and no Iroquois but Senecas are known to have lived 
in that territory. Also, it seems to have been the predecessor 
of the Tram site, and therefore of the Lima site and the Dann 
site of Ganounata, which were indubitably Seneca sites. On the 
other hand many of its artifacts are of a type found only amongst 
the eastern Iroquois. In an Onondaga or Mohawk village any of 
these articles might be expected. The pottery decorations ai'e 
duplicated amongst the eastern Iroquois. So are the hair 
ornaments. In fact, the Dewey collection in Albany parallels 
almost exactly another collection displayed near it, but this 
latter is not Seneca but Onondaga. On the contrary it differs 
markedly from Seneca collections displayed near it. The site 
differs also from other primitive sites farther up the Genesee 
which can only be ascribed to the Senecas; and it is a suggestive 
fact that its affinities, instead of being with these, are with 
another pre-historic site thirty miles to the eastward, at Clifton 
Springs, with the culture of which it is identical. 

The writer has no theory to off'er about this Keed site. He 
might suggest, however, as a hypothesis, the possibility that at 
some time after the Onondagas removed to their New York homes 
from the St. Lawrence, a band of that nation might have preceded 
the main body in its westward movement; that the two last sites 
occupied by this band might be those at Clifton Springs and 
Reed's; that at Reed's they came into direct contact with a 
Seneca band, a part of that nation then moving northward down 
the Genesee Valley; that these two affiliated and continued the 
northward movement w^hich terminated at Ganounata in 1687. 
If this be true, a line of sites similar to Reed's may be looked 
for eastward. There is nothing to support this, yet there are 
a few puzzling details which it would clear up. One of these 
is the occurrence on a high hill just across the Hemlock outlet 
of a small, but typical, Seneca site, marked by refuse and 
potsherds. Another is the marked difference between tlie i)eop]e 
of Canagora, and of Ganounata, or of Onenkenritouai's village, 
towards the missionaries. A third is the apparent increase in 
strength shown by the Senecas at this time. 

There is no information available about the occurrence in 
the hill country south of Hemlock lake of any sites which might 



46 THE AROHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

be the predecessors of the Bristol valley group, the Honeoye 
creek group, or the Reed site. This lack of information may be 
due only to the fact that no search has been made of the hill 
country south of Bristol and Hemlock lake. Certainly these 
groups had predecessors somewhere, and eventually, probably, 
they will be found. In the upper Genesee Valley, liowever, there 
is a well marked series of Stone Age sites, which seem to mark a 
migration path of the Senecas. 

Most northern and best known of these is a fort above 
Portageville. This is a well preserved embankment crowning a 
steep sided sand hill on the west side of the Genesee, about three 
miles south of Portageville. Its soil is littered with refuse and 
deep ash ints occur. It is certainly of prehistoric Iroquoian, 
probably of Seneca, origin. 

At Belmont there are three sites. One is now covered by 
the county buildings and no one knows anything about it. The 
second was covered by meadow when the writer visited it, but 
it seemed to be a considerable site of the pre-Etiropean period. 
The third was systematically studied by the writer and it proved 
to be indisputably ol' pre-European Trociuoian origin. It 
occupies a high plateau lying in the angle between Phillip's 
creek and the Genesee river. Its soil is covered deeply with 
refuse, and a mass of refuse earth four feet thick mantles the 
steep slope at its northern edge. The refuse contains the usual 
waste, animal bones in profusion, potsherds with the 
characteristic Iroquoian design, and articles of bone and antler. 
Ash pits have been found. In the writer's opinion this, not 
Reed's, should be considered the type site for Seneca culture. 

At Wellsville on the West Hill there is what seems to be a 
typical hill-top village. This occupies the extreme crest of the 
hill, one of the highest in Western New York. Its water supply 
was a strong spring just below the crest. The writer located 
this and visited it only once, at a time when it was entirely 
obscured by a heavy crop. Articles found there by the owner, 
however, make it certain that this is a pre-Euro[)ean Iro([uoian 
site ; and its location on a high hill indicates its probable Seneca 
origin. 

Southward up the valley no Iroquoian sites are known. On 
the contrary Algonkian sites are numerous. West of Wellsville, 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 47 

however, a long series of Iroquoiau liill-top torts begins, and 
continues westward across the hills of Allegany, Cattaraugus 
and Chautauqua counties. Nearly every one of these is a well 
preserved embankment. Every one crowns a high hill. Every 
one has marked Iroquoiau characteristics in sharp contrast to 
the innumerable sites near them which are markedly Algonkian. 
There is no doubt in the writer's mind that this line of hill- 
top forts nuirks the path by which the Senecas moved eastward 
tlirough hostile country to the Genesee Valley; and that this 
eastward movement was changed to a northward drift down the 
Valley to the locality where they were seated in earliest historic 
time. 

The Contact Period. 

At some time during the leisurely drift of the Seneca bands 
down the Uenesee Valley some members made their tirst acquam- 
tance with iiiuropeans. This was made almost simultaneously in 
two ways. In lUlo Etienne lirule was sent by Samuel Champlam 
irom the Huron country to the Carantouan nation, which was 
probably seated in the upper valley of the Susquehanna. He 
leaeiied this, and the loiiowing year returned to lluronia. His 
journey led him througli the Seneca country. He lost his way 
and surrendered to a Seneca band at one of their villages, where 
lie escaped torture only l)y a miracle. This was perhaps the 
lirst contact of !Senecas and Europeans. At that time Dutch 
traders had established a post at 1 ort Nassau on the Hudson 
river and this was already being visited by Iroquois, even from 
the vast hinterland ; and it is quite probable that Senecas made 
the long trip from their Genesee valley villages to the trading 
post very soon after it was established. 

The first ett'eet of the meeting between the Senecas and 
Europeans would naturally be the introduction into the Seneca 
villages of European articles, and the first appearance of trade 
articles on a Seneca site would inevitably mark this site as 
having been inhabited at the time when the first contact was 
made. On such a site European articles, beads, knives, axes and 
brass kettles, would be found in graves or refuse in sparse 
numbers and associated with much larger numbers of primitive 
Stone Age artifacts. If such a site had been inhabited for a 



48 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

comparatively long period before the trade articles came in, and 
was abandoned shortly afterwards, very few European articles 
would appear. Conversely, if a site had been newly established 
when the villagers tirst met the traders, and had persisted for a 
comparatively long time thereafter, these European articles 
would be comparatively abundant and the primitive artifacts 
comparatively few. 

There are two sites which show evidences that they were 
inhabited during the iirst intercourse between Senecas and 
Europeans. One of these, the Tram site, persisted seemingly so 
short a time afterw^ards that European articles are rare. A 
second, the Factory Hollow site, seems to have persisted for 
some time thereaiter, and European articles, while not abundant, 
are not rare. 

The appearance of European articles on these sites estab- 
lishes an approximate date for their occupancy. The Tram site 
must have been inhabited for several years before 1615, and for 
a few years thereafter, say from 1600 until 1620. The Factory 
Hollow site would have been occupied by Senec^as for a few 
years before 1615 and until several years thereafter, say from 1610 
until 1630. 

The Tram site occupies tiie crest of a long, high hill, between 
Lima and Livonia. It was originally enclosed by a palisade and 
was thus essentially a typical K^eneca hill-top fortitled town. 
Large areas of its surface are deeply covered by refuse earth. 
Graves were found and excavated there by Mr. Arthur C. Parker. 
These graves and the refuse have yielded a limited number 
of articles of European manufacture and a much larger quantity 
of primitive artifacts. 

The Factory Hollow site occupies the fairly level surface of 
a high terrace of Honeoye outlet at a point where a deep ravine 
debouches into it at an acute angle ; and the wedge shaped area 
thus enclosed was easily capable of defense. Refuse earth 
occurs plentifully, much of it in side hill dumps, where rubbish 
was shot over the steep slopes. Much of this was explored by 
Mr. Alvin H. Dewey; and the artifacts which he found there 
constitute all our existing data. All available data have been 
published by the Lewis H. Morgan Chapter, New York Archeo- 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENEISEE COUNTRY 49 

logical Association, with the title "A Contact Period Seneca 
Site," by Arthur C. Parker. 

The site yields large numbers of primitive artifacts, inter- 
mingled with which are a comparatively few European articles. 
The report shows that objects of practically all materials avail- 
able were in use ; stone ; clay from which kettles and pipes were 
made ; bones and teeth of animals in comparative profusion ; and a 
very little shell, some of it derived from the local mussels, some 
imported shells of fulgur and ocean clam. The European articles 
include those made of brass, glass and cloth. 

The stone articles include all those of the usual Iro(iuoian 
type : Arrow points, knives and a scraper chipped from Hint ; 
axes, adzes and chisels ; and the rougher, partly worked 
hammers, net sinkers and grinders. All the arrow points are 
triangular and all the axes are ungrooved. 

Somewhat unique are the arrow points made from antler 
tips. Of these several were found in various stages of manu- 
facture. This type of point is infrequent on Seneca sites. 
Besides these there aie many cylindrical antler punches used in 
tiaking arrow points. Plate VIIA shows some of these. 

Beads and pendants made from shell are rather numerous. 
Small "wampum" beads of the type used in abundance on later 
Seneca sites were found in one grave, this being probably the 
first Seneca site on which they occur in any nunUjer. Pendants 
cut from massive shell have been found, a very few being of 
I'orms abundant on later sites. 

Pipes and vessels of clay seem to have been numerous, but 
few are known to us. One pipe with the typical Pan-Iroquoian 
line decoration is shown in Mr. Parker's article. Another, 
decorated with a bear effigy, is reported as having been found 
in a grave. 

Somewhat unusual for sites of this age is an effigy of an 
eagle, neatly carved from catlinite. In appearance it resembles 
strikingly a few similar effigies carved from massive shell, one 
found by Mr. Dewey in a grave on the site of Totiaktou, a Seneca 
village of much later date, and others from the site of the 
Delaware village of Minisink on the Delaware river. 

Awls of bone are fairly numerous and are of the usual forms. 
A few perforated needles were found in the refuse, with one 



50 THE ARCHiEiOLOGY OF THE OBNIEISiEE COUNTRY 

fishhook. Pendants, niado by perforating smooth articulated 
portions of ball joints, oeeur, together with others formed by 
perforating the teeth of animals. Very interesting, indeed, is 
a small effigy carved in the round in bone to represent the human 
figure. At least tAvo of tliese, possibly more, were found in 
graves. One at least was at one time in a collection in the 
State Museum. Another is in tlie possession of Mr. Dewey. 
(Plate VIIB shows this). It is noteworthy that, to the writer's 
knowledge, these are the only ones found on a Seneca site. The 
only other one known to the writer was found in the refuse of a 
Wenro village at East Elma. 

A cemetery was found at the extreme point of the angle and 
was excavated by several local collectors. The articles taken 
from the graves included clay kettles and pipes, articles of brass 
and iron, and glass, and some articles made of bone and antler. 

From 1657 to 1687. 

This period comprises the years during which French priests 
established missions amongst the Senecas; and because of the 
presence thi-re of those trained observers we have our first real 
knowledge of the Senecas in their home lands. The pc^riod began 
wiien Father Chaumonot entered the Seneca country in 1657 and 
it ended after the; priests had abandoned their mission, and the 
villages where they had labored were destroyed by a French 
punitive force led by Governor Denonville. 

Of all the Indian village sites in the Genesee Country those 
occupied by the Senecas of this period have been most carefully 
studied ; and with a few exceptions out knowledge of them is 
most nearly accurate. AVlien the first settlers came to the 
(ienesee Country they found in certain localities wide clearings 
surrounding small areas littered with all the refuse of compact 
and long established Indian towns. They left more or less 
definite descriptions of them; and although they were unable 
to assigir to them the names which they originally bore, so careful 
and dt'tailed were the descriptions by the resident priests, by 
visitor's and by the journalist of the French force, that their 
iih'ntilrcation is probably certain. 

Seven village sites can be attributed with little doubt to this 
period. These are the sites of four comnninities, some of wliich 
occupied more than one site. They occur in two groups, one on 



THE ARCHEaL-OGY OF THE GBNEJSEE COUNTRY 51 

the Honeoye outlet, the other on or near the valley of Mud Creek. 
The first comprises three large sites, at Rochester Junction, at 
Honeoye Falls, and at Lima. The second comprises four large 
sites, at Victor, just south of Victor on the Beal farm, at 
Holcomb, and at the east edge of East Bloomfleld on the Marsh 
farm. Each of these groups is made up of the sites occupied 
successively by two communities; and they are the logical 
successors of the sites of earlier periods already described. The 
first group seems to comprise the sites of Totiakton and 
Ganounata, the second of Canagora and Gandougarae. 

The site at Lima occupies the crest of the hill upon which 
stands the village church and much of its area is now under the 
church, the churchyard and the street. Excavations in the 
street at this point have uncovered numerous graves and only 
from these can the age of the site be judged. There seems no 
doubt that this was the village of Gandachiragon, in which dwelt 
Ononkenritouai, a Seneca war chief. It was the residence of 
Father Garnier in 1669. 

The site at Honeoye Falls is on the farm of John Dann. It 
occupies a level terrace above a small creek. It was evidently 
a very large town, for an immense amount of really beautiful 
archeologic material has been taken from it, mainly by Mr. Dann 
and his son, who excavated graves and secured a large 
collection of articles. These comprised pipes and kettles of clay, 
pipes of stone, beautifully carved bone combs, quantities of 
beads and pendants made of shell and glass, and great ((uantities 
of metal articles. These are now in the State Museum at Albany. 
Later excavations by Mr. Dewey uncovered other graves with 
similar articles. 

The site seems to have been that of Ganounata, mentioned 
by the priests, visited by Wentworth Greenhalgh in 1G77 and 
burned by Denonville in 1687. 

Situated in a bend of the Honeoye outlet at Rochester 
Junction, only three miles north of the latter site, is another 
great site identified as that of Totiakton. It occupies a large 
area on the elevated terrace above the creek, on the farm of 
Mr. Kirkpatrick. It is a well known site but has never bee?i 
thoroughly studied. Desultory excavations on the northeast 
corner by various local collectors developed graves which yielded 



52 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GBINIBSEE COUNTRY 

many articles. The writer did some excavating there also and 
found a f<'\v <z:raves. It was left for Mr. Dewey to excavate the 
cemetery at that point, and the articles gathered there by him 
funiisli i)ractically all onr information about the site. 

lake the IToneoye Falls site this yields a great number of 
articles, most of them of European origin. It is only when the 
articles from this site are compared with those from the Factory 
Hollow, or any other earlier site, that we realize to wdiat an 
extent the primitive culture of the Senecas had disappeared in 
two generations. 

Of all the artifacts made from bone only the carved comb 
survived, and this was carved no more with primitive tools, 
rudely and laboriously, but was sawed and drilled with European 
tools. Plate VlII shows two of these bone combs. The clay 
kettle was nearlj^ displaced by the more beautiful, lighter, less 
fragile kettles of brass ; and the beautifully modeled clay pipes, 
of which many were made, and several of which are shown in 
Plate TX, were used side bj^ side with the white clays of England, 
.^n immense number of ornaments were in use, all either imported 
direct as in the case of glass beads or clam shell wampum, or 
imported as raw material to be worked up in the village, as 
busycon shell and eatlinite. Plate X shows a large gorget 
made from a marine shell, probably Busycon. The typical 
triangular arrow points still persisted but w^ere scarce compared 
with bullets, guntlints and gun-gear. Stone axes were practically 
obsolete, being superseded by clumsy iron axes. The women, 
even, were discarding their homemade Jioes made of shoulder 
blades, or stone, and using light iron hoes brought in from 
.\lbany. 

Historically there can be no doubt that this was the site 
of Totiakton. In it in 1672 was the mission station of LaConcep- 
tion presided over by Father Eaffeix. It was visited in 1677 by 
i\lr. Wentworth Greenhalgh, an agent evidently sent by the 
Knglish Governor of New York to ascertain the military strength 
of the Ii()(|uois. In it he witnessed the return of a war party 
and the torture of its junsoners. At that time it consisted of 
I'lO cabins. The next year it was visited by Father Hennepin 
who was sent by LaSalle asking that he be permitted to build a 
boat on the Niagara. He called it Tegaronhies. In 1687 it 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 53 

shared the fate of the other Seneca towns when it was burned 
by Denonville. 

This group of three village ^ites seems to have been made 
up of two eommnnities previously described as moving by easy 
stages northward down the Honeoye. The predecessors of 
Totiakton seem to have been the Warren site, the Factory Hollow 
site and the Belcher site. Those of Ganounata seem to have 
l)een that at Lima, at Tram's and possibly that at Reed's. After 
the destruction of the villages in 1687 this northward drift 
ceased, and the two communities turned w^est and southward as 
will be described later. 

The eastern group of sites to be attributed to this period 
comprises four large sites and some smaller sites. Two of these 
almost certainly are the early and later sites of the village of 
(tandougarae. 

At Wheeler Station, just east of Holcomb, there is a large 
site on a farm at one time owned by a Mr. Fox. It covers the 
low terrace on the east side of Mud Creek. The soil is blackened 
by abundant refuse earth from w^hich come many articles of 
pjuropean origin. Graves were located there and excavated by 
Mr. George Ileye of New York. 

Tlie site seems to be either an early contact site, the successor 
to the two pre-European sites higher up the Mud Creek Valley, 
cr the first site of Gandougarae. If the latter it w^as the mission 
of St. ^lir-hel which was burned in 1670. its successor being the 
site on the ^larsh farm low^er down the valley. Not enough is 
known of the site, however, to warrant identification. 

On the eastern boundary of the township of East Bloom- 
field, on a small tributary of Mud Creek, a mile north of the 
Wheeler Station site, is a site long known as that of a great 
Indian town. From its position in relation to the town of 
Canagora it was early considered to be the site of Gandougarae; 
and archeologic w^ork has amply proved the correctness of this 
identification. 

The site is a large one, situated on the rather low terrace of 
a small brook. The village proper occupied the east side of this 
stream, I)ut a large cemetery covered a knoll on the west side. 
The whole village area is blackened by refuse earth from w^hich 
have been taken numerous articles, mostly of European origin: 



54 THE ARCHEOLOGY OP" THE GBNHSEE COUNTRY 

but none of the refuse heaps have been examined. Two 
eeiueteries have been systematically explored. Excavations were 
carried on by Mr. Handin, of Holcomb ; by Mr. Coates, of 
Clifton Springs; by Mr. Dewey, of Rochester; by Mr. Heye, of 
New York; and by the writer, who excavated the cemetery on 
the west side of the brook. From this Avork resulted a rather 
large mass of data illustrating the culture of the people who 
lived there. 

The articles found in the graves are identical with those 
from the villages of Ganounata and Totiakton already described, 
but a few burials showed distinctive features. From one grave 
the writer took a complete chert chipping outfit, comprising raw 
chert, partly worked points, a finished point, a small, flat, stone 
anvil and two antler punches. From another came a gourd 
rattle identical with those still used in ceremonials by the pagan 
Scnecas. 

The burials themselves were entirely different from those on 
other sites. The soil was hard red clay. A typical grave was a 
rectangular excavation in this hard clay, with straight sides 
and level bottom. On the bottom and extending up the sides 
Avas a layer of bark, on which the body had been carefully laid 
in the usual flexed position. Very often the grave contained 
two bodies, evidently buried together. In this the burials 
difl:'ered radically from those of the sites at Beal's and at Victor, 
to be described later. 

It is probable that this difference may be accounted for by 
the known fact that in the village of Gandougarae was domiciled 
a number of Ilurons, Wenroes and Neutrals, who had been taken 
captive in the wars between the Senecas and these nations. 
These people had been ministered to in their native land by Jesuit 
priests, and when the first priest, Father Chaumonot, began his 
mission in the Seneca country these expatriated colonists 
welco.med him ; and as a consecpience his successor. Father 
Freiiiin, established his mission amongst them rather than 
amongst their Seneca captors. 

The occurrence of numerous double graves may be accounted 
for by the fact that wliile the priests Avere there resident, they 
mentioned a violent t'i)idemic Avliich carried off many of the 
people. 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 55 

This village was burned by accident in 1670 and the priest 
then established there, Father Garnier, relates that the people 
removed a short distance and established a new palisaded town-. 
This new town seems to have been that on the Appleton farm 
at Holcomb. 

The Holcomb site occupies almost level, low lying ground 
on the edge of a small stream about a mile northeast of Holcomb. 
Its soil is blackened by refuse earth containing many articles 
mainly of European origin. No systematic archeologic work has 
ever been done on this site. A cemetery was located by the 
writer and later was excavated by Mr. Hamlin of Holcomb. 
Very few articles were taken from the graves. If this be the 
second site of the village of Gandougarae, as seems probable, it 
was the mission station oi !St. Michel, of Father Garnier. It was 
burned in 1687 by Denonville. 

At the northern boundary of the township of East Bloom- 
field is an interesting site, the relation of which to others has 
never l)een fully established, although all data seem to indicate 
that it was the immediate predecessor of Canagora. 

The site is a large one, situated on the farm of ^Ir. Bea], on 
a series of knolls bordering a small brook. Refuse earth covers 
much of the area. The site has been knoM'n for a long time, and 
has been systematically explored in part, at least. The writer 
located and excavated a large cemetery on a knoll on the westerji 
edge. 

The l)urials and the grave contents differed radically from 
those on the two sites previously described, and many of the 
graves showed some remarkable features. The bodies were 
mainly in the tiexed position, some in individual graves, many, 
however, in pits. These pits were not of the ossuary t>pe, such 
as were found in two nearby cemeteries to be described later, 
but were wide graves in which from two to six bodies had been 
buried, usually in a tiexed position. Two skeletons were extended 
full length, but, in both, the skulls and most of the upper parts 
of the skeleton were missing. These peculiarities of burial seem 
to be accounted for by the fact that when this site was inhabited 
an epidemic killed many of the people, probably necessitating 
the speedy burial of many simultaneously, and wide graves with 
several bodies would have been probable. The absence of 



56 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF T«E GBNiBSEE COUNTRY 

portions of two bodies can only be explained by the custom o.t 
t'xliiuiiing the bones of the dead and re-interring them in an 
ossuary. The two extended bodies would have required cousid- 
eral)le digging antl so a portion was deemed sufficient. That 
this is true seems ti» be proved by the fact that another body was 
bulled immediately above these two. Evidently the original 
grave had been opened, parts of the bodies removed, and the 
grave partly hlled. Later the third body was placed in the 
resulting excavation. 

i^'rom the graves came a large number of articles. Mainly 
these were of European origin, couiprising the usual trade articles: 
axes, knives, awls and scissors ; blankets ; rings, such as the 
priests gave their pupils; and abundant glass beads of various 
kinds. Large quantities of wampum were found, some still 
preserving the texture of the belts on which they were woven. 
This wampum was made from clam shell and was imported from 
tiie Algonkian tribes along the Atlantic coast, who manufactureti 
it, Compaiatively few articles of JSeneca make were found. Of 
tiiese the most interesting were several clay kettles, clay pipes, 
some ornamented with efhgies, and carved bone comijs. 

As has been said there seems every probability that this is 
an early site of Canagora. Its predecessor was possibly tlie 
f-''ox site at Wheeler teitation ; tliough this latter may have been 
the eariy Uaiulougarae, and tiiu Appleton farm would in tiiai 
case have been the predecessor of the Eeal site. 

The site of Canagora is about a mile north of the Beal site 
cm lioughton hill in Victor. It is, and for a century has been, 
well known as an Indian tow n, and great quantities of Indian 
articles have been taken from it by many collectors. 

The site is typically Seneca. It occupies the crest of a 
high hill which towers two hundred and fifty feet above the 
valley in which lies the pretty village of Victor. Its water supply 
was a strong spring at its western base. Surrounding it was 
a palisade which was of sufficient importance to warrant Father 
(Jaliiiee in describing it in IGG!). The embankment which up- 
held the palisade persisted at least until 1845 when it was 
described and plotted by Mr. E. G. Scpiier. 

A great deal of excavating has been done on this site, some 
desultory, much of it systematic. The writer excavated a few 



THE ARCHiBOLOGY OF THE GBNBSBE COUNTRY 57 

graves in two cemeteries. Mr. A. C. Parker excavated the 
remaining portion of these two cemeteries; and Mr. Dewey 
excavatea both graves and refuse heaps. There is no doubt, 
however, that much profitable work can be done there. 

i^'rom tlie graves came a hirge number of artifacts, most, 
naturally being either of European origin or siU)W]ng the in- 
nueiice or Jiiuropean intercourse. The ordinary stock of tiie 
Jiiuropean trader is well represented. Brass kettles of all sizes, 
iron axes, knives, scissors and awl blades, brass or pewter spoons, 
glass beads, gun Hints, bullets and bullet moulds, steels for 
striking tire, small chisels, a long hsh spear, all testify to the 
etforts of shrewd lingiish and hleinish traders, not only to meet 
ihe uemands of a primitive people, but to create in them new 
neeas. Occasionally biass rings are unearthed, these being 
rewards given by missionaries to their pupils; and in one grave 
the writer found a long chaplet of ivory beads with its suspended 
cruciiix of ebony and brass. Wampum, imported from the 
coastal tribes, is abundant. 

Articles made in the village are few. A few ornaments 
carved irom shell in the shape of the characteristic claw-shapeil 
or lunate pendants, and of "tiying geese," a characteristic 
elongated bottle-shaped pendant, are to be found. Some stone, 
botli catlinite and a tine brown sandstone much resembling cat- 
linite, was imported and carved into small pendants and beads. 
The writer obtained on the site a large lump of the brown sand- 
stone, evidently brought in for this purpose. 

Kather abundant are the clay pipes made in the villasije. 
These depart in no way from the usual forms of Iroquoian pipes. 
Most conspicuous of aboriginal handiwork are the bone comi)s 
which are comparatively numerous. 

Burials here resemble those at the Beal site and so differ 
entirely from those at Marsh's. Most bodies are in the flexed 
position but frequently the bones are scattered in the grave, 
evidently by opening subsequent to their burial. It was not 
unusual to find the skull and pelvis bones together, or to find 
arm or leg bones at different sides of the grave. On the eastern 
side the writer took two skulls from a refuse heap in direct eon- 
tact with broken deer bones and other food refuse. The skulls 
were noteworthy in being extremely thin and fragile, and it is 



58 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

l)o.ssible that they wore those of captives who had been killed 
and eaten in the Seneca fashion. So far as is known no ossuary 
lias been found on the site. 

This village of Cauagora (Gandagora) was well known his- 
torically. In 1676 Father Pierron was sent there to establisli 
}i mission; and tor eight years this mission of St. Jacques was 
continued. During these 3'ears Father Pierron labored there in 
the face of persistent opposition and persecution by the 
intractable Senecas. In 1684 when La Barre, Governor of New 
France, began preparations to overawe the Senecas, tluise in 
exasperation forced their missionaries to leave. 

In 1666 Robert Cavalier, de La Salle, with his journalist, 
Father Galinee, and a portion of his party with which he was 
endeavoring to penetrate the Ohio valley, climbed the steep slopes 
of the hill, and were met ceremonially "at the edge of the woods" 
l»y the Seneca chiefs; and after the usual exchange of presents 
he stayed for several days. In 1677 Mr. Greenhalgli visited their 
village and reported upon its situation. 

In 1687 Governor Denonville unexpectedly landed a force at 
Irondequoit, nuirched rapidly to Cauagora, uncovered an 
ambuscade laitl by a Seneca party in a swamp at the l)ase ot' the 
hill, defeated the party and entered and burned the town. 
Seemingly it was never again occupied. 

Near this great toAvn there seem to have been several small 
outlying hamlets. Two of tlu'sc small sites are said locally to be 
found on low lying ground about a halt mile east of the great 
site. There seem to have been evidences of a site at the inter- 
section of roads two miles south of the site, near the Beal site. 
Both Galinee and deBaugy note especially that there existed a 
small fort on a hill near the town of Cauagora. This was on 
the crest of a high, steep sided sand hill about a mile west oi 
the village. The flat top is usually in meadow and to the 
writer's knowledge no evidences of occupancy have ever been 
noted there, excepting that a local history mentions the fact that 
a number of guns were found in a hollow tree there. 

South of the great village site, at the intersection of "Cherry 
Street'' and tiie llolcomb road, was a large cemetery. This 
might have belonged either to tiie site at Victor oi' to Mie Beal 
site. It was excavated by the M^riter with interesting results. 



TkK ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 59 

The cemetery covered a knoll on the farm of John Bunce. 
The burials showed several illuminating characteristics. Bodies 
had been buried individually in single graves in the flexed 
position; in small heaps of four or more, in the type of burial 
commonly called the "bundle" burial; and in a great ossuary. 
One was found in an extended position. The ossuary contained 
the l)ones of twenty-eight persons. Some bones showed evidence 
that they had belonged to skeletons which had been disarticulated 
and then had been tied into bundles. Most of the skulls had been 
piled in a heap, ^^mongst the bones were a few articles, and 
on the bottom of the pit was a large quantity of wampum. That 
some of these bones had originally been buried, probably in the 
usual way in single graves, and later disinterred, is made evidetit 
by two facts. A brass kettle bottom was found in the pit, with 
no evidence that the remainder had been placed there. The only 
explanation of this is that this kettle had been buried in a grave, 
had stayed there long enough to allow corrosion to separate the 
bottom from the sides, and then had been dug up with the body 
and with it had been placed in the ossuary. The second fact is 
that the skeleton mentioned as being in an extended position had 
been removed from the waist up. The legs, sacrum and some 
vertelira were in position, but the remainder was absent. 
Evidently the digging necessary to remove a body in an extended 
position was discouraging enough to prevent finishing the work 
of removal. 

Of two skeletons in an extended position on the Beal site, 
the upper portions of both had been removed, and that this was 
done some time after burial ami decomposition is shown by 
the fact that the bones of one arm of one skeleton were still in 
place at its side. That the grave had not been opened recently by 
some curious white man is shown by the fact that an un- 
disturbed skeleton lay above these two extended ones. 

From 1687 to 1779. 

FolloAving the devastation of the Seneca towns by Denon- 
ville in 1687 the Senecas seem not to have retui'neil to the 
immediate vicinity of their demolished villages but to have 
repaired to some distance, and there at more remote places to 
have established themselves anew. The new establishments 



60 THE AHCHBOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

of only one of the three great villages are certain, though there 
are sites whieh may and probably do mark their new locations. 

The gi-eat town of Canagora with its attendant village of 
oai)tives. Gandongarae, seems to have drifted eastwards and in 
a uia/e of rolling hills remote from any easy approach from Lake 
Ontario they estal)lished new settlements at what is now Hopewel! 
on the eld .AlcClure farm on lot 20, and possibly at one of the 
sites near Geneva. There seem to be two rather well defined 
groups, but very little is known about any of the sites there. 
The two western villages of Totiakton and Ganounata seem to 
have drifted westward and southward, and to have established 
themselves at (yonesus lake and the Genesee river. 

From the littU' that is known about the archeology of the 
country between Ganandaigua and Geneva may be gathered 
only a fcAv facts. Well knoAvn village sites occur on the McClur-^ 
farm on Lot 20. Hopewell : at Geneva ; at White Spring farm, 
and at the Nelson farm a little south of Geneva. Modern sites 
Hre said to occur northAvest of Geneva, on lots 56 and 58: at 
Kashong, s<'ven miles south of Geneva; and at tAvo points just 
south of the Nelson site. The McClure site has never been 
systeiii;)licMlly exe;ivated. but in 1920 the oAvner dug all over it. 
and foiiiul ail unKiio\vn nuinber of graves Avith a great cjuantity 
of archeelogieal material Avhich Avas acquired by Mr. Alvin IT. 
DeAvey. The Geneva site is uoav marked by a stone monument. 
It occupied ;i tei-raee above Old Castle creek, on the Avestern side 
of Preeiii!)tion road, south of 'Castle road. It Avas fortified by 
English colonials, a'-ting under instructions from Sir William 
Johnson. A ])urial mound is to be found on the land of W. A. 
!->mith, hist Avest of a mill nt the corner of Preemption road and 
Castle road. Miid from this i\ fcAv articles have been taken by Mr. 
Smith and Mr. Dougherty. No refuse earth or scattered village 
waste can be found and seemingly none Avas ever found there 
as on earlier sites. 

The White Spring farm is immediately southAvest of the 
corporation limits of Geneva, on the high terrace of Seneca lake. 
At the base of the hill arc tAvo small ponds fed by a strong 
spring. The site is magnificent. Avith a Avide vicAV of beautiful 
country, Seneca lake and the hills beyond. The idea that it is 
a village site is based upon the knoAvji fact that many years ago, 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GE3NESBB COUNTRY 61 

while Henry Davey was digging a cellar for a barn there, he 
unearthed some skeletons and articles. No one but IMr. Davey 
seems to know anything about the occurrence there of a site. 
and if one were there it is now included in the wide lawns of 
the owner. 

The Nelson site is equally unknown. The present owner 
states that brass kettles and glass beads have been found there, 
but beyond this nothing is known. On the surface there are no 
signs of refuse earth or village waste such as are conspicuous 
on the surface of the towns of an earlier period. The writer 
tested rather extensively there for graves but failed to find any, 
though two had been turned out by the plough. 

From these towns the Senecas spread rather rapidly to the 
southward. Villages sprang up at Kashong, seven miles south 
of Geneva: at Kendaia; at Montour's; at Elmira; at 
Chemung; and at smaller places intervening. Meanwhile 
Canandaigua was settled, and two other villages had sprung up, 
one at Naples, the other at Honeoye. 

The new settlements of the western group of the Senecas 
immediately after 1687 have not been identified. There are two 
sites, which answer fairly well, one at Lakeville, the other north 
of Livonia, yet so little is known of these sites that nothing 
definite can be said of them. Professor Putnam excavated a 
cemetery at Lakeville, but never reported the results. From the 
few facts known they both seem to be rather late sites. In 1779 
the Colonials found this group of Senecas in several towns, one 
at the head of Conesus lake, one (or two) opposite Mt. Morris, 
and the largest at the present Cuylerville and Moscow. These 
they destroyed. Several others of this group on the Genesee 
they failed to reach. One existed at Canawaugus, one, Nondon, 
near the present Portageville, and one at Caneadea. From this 
grou]) colonies had spread over the divide to the west and south 
into the Allegheny valley where there had sprung up numerous 
towns of considerable size, Tunaengwant (near Salamanca), 
Tunesassa, Cold Spring, and others as far south as Buccaloons 
and even farther down the river. These lower towns as far 
north as Buccaloons were destroyed by Colonel Broadhead, who 
co-operated with General Sullivan in 1779. 

The marked change between the refuse blackened surface of 



62 THE ARCIH[EX)'LOGY OF THE GENESEiE COUNTRY 

the grreat towns like that at Victor and the surface of the site 
at Geneva and the Nelson site is probably due to two causes. 
At some time between 1687 and 1779 the Senecas here domiciled 
changed their manner of living from the comnumal life of the 
long bark houses such as existed upon the restricted area within 
the palisades at Victor, to the individual life of single log cabins 
scattered over a large area such as were found at Canandaigua 
or Cuylerville in 1779. Great masses of debris such as 
accumulated in the narrow confines of a closely packed 
palisaded town, could not accumulate in the village of scattered 
houses in the later period. Besides this, the number of Senecas 
had diminished rapidly during the two or three decades after 
1687. In 1733 a French official report, possibly written by 
Joneaire, stated that the Senecas had dwindled from four villages 
of 1,000 Avarriors to 350 warriors living in two villages. This 
was, however, palpably inaccurate, for more than two villages 
were well known. An English report in 1697 estimated the 
Senecas at 600, as against 1300 in 1689, 

The McClure site at Hopewell is the only one of this entire 
period from which any large number of archeologie remains 
have been taken, but these remains are numerous and interesting. 
Except a few excavated many years ago and seemingly scattered, 
all these are in the possession of Alvin H. Dewey of Rochester. 
They include a wide range of tools, utensils, weapons and 
ornaments. As might be expected they show nearly the same 
characteristics as those from Canagora, there being fewer 
primitive artifacts and more trade articles. 

Very few articles of aboriginal origin unmodified by 
European influence were found. Of these few most are orna- 
ments of shell and stone. Of these a comparatively large 
number are made of the massive shell of some marine gastropod, 
presumably the Busycon, the outer whorls and columellae of 
which were wrought into gorgets and pendants of various sizes 
and shapes. Plate XI shows some of these shapes, all being in 
the collection of Mr. Dewey. Of these the three upper are 
probal)ly effigies of the turtle. The large effigy, probably meant 
for a bird with extended wings, recalls strikingly a shell ef^^^y 
found on the site of Minnisink, a Delaware town. Two small 
maskettes are shown, which seem to be not so much effigies of 



THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 63 

the humau face as copies in miuiature of false faces. The dis- 
eoidal pendants are of the type known as "runtee" beads, in 
which holes are drilled through the edge from a point on (im- 
side to the other. Just as the bird effigy recalls a type from the 
Delaware town, so does the little fish effigy resemble strikingly 
a fairly large number almost identical found there. 

Very beautiful indeed, and possibly marking the culmination 
of Seneca carving in stone, are the maskettes shown in Plate XII. 
These are carved from stone, either catlinite or a fine brown 
sandstone such as is to be found on the lower Ohio river. Two 
of these, recall masks made of shell found on earlier sites. A tiny 
scrap of catlinite was utilized by some clever artist to fabricate a 
beautifully carved miniature face shown in Plate XII, a. The 
larger, figure d, is a beautifully carved and finished bas-relief, 
which recalls in a glorified way the rude conventionalized faces 
on the rims of certain early Iroquoiau pottery jars. 

Bone combs, which under primitive conditions were made on 
the lieed site, and which were continued on all later sites, are 
to be found on the ^IcClure site. These differ in no particular 
from those found on the sites immediately preceding this. Two 
forms shown in Plate XIII, one ornamented by a conventionalized 
snake, the other of a line and notch design, are now in Mr. 
Dewey's collection. 

By far the most artifacts from the McClure site are of 
European origin. The usual trade articles, comprising brass 
kettles, iron axes, awls, chisels and knives, and glass beads are 
very abundant. The beads are of many varieties, comprising all 
those most popular in the earlier villages and in addition a few 
new forms. With these were interspersed a variety of beads 
and pendants of aboriginal workmanship made of stone, a few 
of which are shown in Plate XIV. These are made of catlinite 
or of a similar fine brown sandstone. 

Plate XV shows a series of arrow points made of brass in 
the familiar triangular shape. Portions of the shafts have been 
preserved and these show the method of attaching such points 
to the shafts. With them are brass cones for holding bunches 
of colored hair, ornaments for clothing. 

Numerous religious relics were found in the graves. These 



64 THE ARCHEOLOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

were of three types, namely : Rings, crucifixes and medals. All 
thesis were probably given by French priests to their proselytes. 
The rings are made of brass and show various devices, the most 
e'oiimion being the crucifix. These rings and their designs are 
well shown in Plate XVI, 

The crucifixes are of the usual type, made of brass and arc 
well shown in Plate XVII. The medals also of brass show the 
usual symbols of the Church and of the Jesuit and Carthusian 
orders. Plate XVIII shows these. 

From one grave was taken a small bottle (Plate XIX) made 
of green glass similar in all ways to bottles frequently found in 
the seaboard colonies. These were imported into the colonies 
as containers for liquors. 

Algonkian Archeology. 

The Algonkian occupancy of the Genesee Country is matte 
evident by innumerable artifacts scattered widely over the entire 
territory. J\o large village sites, homes of sedentary farmers, 
can be ascribed to this occupancy. Mainly, articles are founn 
singly on sandy knolls or on the margin of some stream or lake 
where a camp had been established. With few exceptions there 
is no evidence of any long established settlement or of large 
villages, and as a consequence very few refuse heaps or cemeteries 
are known to exist. 

The Algonkian culture is marked by the occurrence of notched 
or tanged points, mainly uuieh larger than the tiny Iroquoian 
triangles ; \)y few articles made of bone or antler ; by potteiy 
decorations impressed in the soft clay with cords or fabrics or 
stamps; by gorgets, bird-stones and banner stones made from 
slate (Plate XX) ; by grooved net sinkers ; and by occasional 
fragments of steatite vessels. Occasional points of material 
not found locally occur, as argillite, white quartz, brown jasper, 
and rhyolite. 

That these articles are partly if not entirely to be attributed 
to Delawares or to some similar Algonkian tribe can hardly be 
doubted. ]Most of the articles found are identical with others 
found in the Delaware Valley on sites of indubitable Delaware 
origin. The foreign materials, argillite, rhyolite, white quartz 
and broAvn jasper, must have come from some point south of 



THE AiUCHEOLOGY OF THE GE3NBSBE COUNTRY 65 

New York, probably Pennbylvania or New Jersey, where these 
materials occur in abundance. 

Incontrovertible proof that Delawares wandered here is 
given by a curious carving in stone of a human face m the 
collection of Mr. Dewey. This is pictured m Plate XXI. It is 
exactly similar to faces carved in stone or wood by the Lenape 
and called by them Mising. 

Uf the few sites which show evidence of a prolonged habi- 
tation, that at Vine Valley is perhaps best known. It occupies a 
bench on the side of Bare Hill overlooking the valley in which is 
the hamlet of Vine Valley. At the base of the hill is Canandaigua 
lake; and the site commands a most delightful outlook of that 
charming lake and the steep hills beyond. Evidences of occupancy 
were found by the owner of the property while digging out 
gravel. He unearthed several graves in which were numerous 
articles, amongst them chert blades of large size, slate gorgets, 
round shell beads, and a few articles of bone or antler. All 
these were of a pattern entirely different from those taken from 
►Seneca sites. He seems to have undermined a large ash bed 
or refuse pit also, though all data pertaining to it were lost. 

Another well known site is to be found on the Hat-topped 
terrace of the Genesee river at Mount Morris, known as Squawky 
Hill. The owner unearthed what seems to have been a grave 
mound, in which, in a stone enclosed grave, were the bones of 
a skeleton or possibly several skeletons, with which Avere a long 
string of round river pearls and a beautiful pipe of the type 
known as "monitor," a common form in southern Ohio. Later a 
smaller and ruder pipe of this form was found there by 
^Ir. Dewey. 

The origin of this burial and its accompaniments is prob- 
lematical. Seemingly here was buried a person from the Ohio 
valley. What strange freak of chance brought him to the spot? 
That Squawky Hill was a favorite rendezvous for remote 
tribes is historically well established ; and local histories describe 
meetings there of parties of Western Indians. Likewise at this 
spot was a colony of captives brought there from Michigan 
or beyond. 

A very interesting site is to be found on the western bank 
of Honeoye lake on the farm of Mr. Auger. Here from a some- 



66 THE ARCHBO'LOGY OF THE GENESEE COUNTRY 

Avliat restricted area has been gathered a eollection of artifacts, 
all of which are of strictly Algonkian type. The points are 
large with notches oi' tangs. The material of which many are 
made is rhyolite, originating ])robably no nearer than the 
Suscpiehanna valley. There are numerous clnb heads or net 
sinkers, ellipsoidal in form, grooved about the middle trans- 
versely, and a few slate gorgets of the familiar Algonkian tjqje. 



PLATES 




PLATE I. Pipes from the Reed site at Riclimond Mills, N. Y. Figures 
j. k, 1, and m are made of coarse sandstone. The others are made of 
clay. A. H. Dewey Collection. 




PLATE lA. Iroquoian decorations from rims of clay kettles. Note 
the characteristic triangles filled in with parallel lines, and the human 
face modeled in clay with eyes of shell inlaid. Found by A. H. Dewey 
at Richmond Mills, N. Y. 




PLATE II 
Pweed site, Richmond 



Two large awls or bodkins and a beaming tool from the 
Mills, N. Y. A. H. Dewey, Collection. 




I'LATP: III. Awls and needles 
Dewey at Richmond Mills. N, Y, 



made of bone. Collected l>v A. II. 




PLATE IV Bone flsh hooks found by A. H. Dewey at R'^limond Mills 
N. Y. All stages of manufacture are shown from unworked bone to 
finished hook. 




PL\TE V Harpoon points made of antler, from Uiihmond 
Mills, N. Y. Collection of A. H. Dewey. 




PLATE XI. Antler artifacts. Five punches for malving- arrow points 
are sliown, witli an arrow point, and other articles of unknown use. 
Collection of A. H. Dewey. 




PLATK VIA. A hair ornament made of bone or antler from 
Richmond Mills, N. Y. Collected by A. H. Dewey. 




PLATE VII. Two hair oinanients made of antler from Richmond Mills. 
N. Y. Collection of A. H. Dewey. 



s 



PI \TF VII V \ntltr articles from the Factory HoUovy Site. Top row: 
Antle^ari?^wpoVnt in process. I.ower row: Antler pitching tools. Scale. 
About actual size. Dewey Collection. 











jMSpiH^Bi:;- -■ 


*:-. 






w., Jf^h J?. ^'"^- ,^one articles from the Factory Hollow Site. Scale: 2-3, 
i" rem the Dewey Collection, 




PLATE VIII. Hair ornaments from Rochester Junct-on, N. Y. 
Collection of A. H. IKwex-. 




PLATE IX. Pipes modeled from clay. Collected at Koclioater Junction 
by A. H. Dewey, 




PL\TE K Ornaments made from shell of Busycon. The upper row 
shows'^'pendants fabTcated fron. columellae. ^i^'^'"- i^; '-■ , 'SU'e^'tL^ 
made of shell and thimbles. Collected by A. H. Dewey at Kocnester 



Junction. 




PLATE XI. ornaments made of shell. The upper row shows erhyy 
of turtle Below is a bird effigy, with two maskettes. Below these aie 
' ruutee" bead^ In the lower corner is a fish effigy. From McClure sue. 
Dewey Collection. 




PLATE XII. :MaBkeUe.s made of brown .saiidsloiiu. F.oni .Mc'lure' 
Dewey Collection. 




PLATE XIII. Hair ornaments from McClure site. Dewey Collection. 




PLATE Xl\'. Beads and pendant.s made of catlinite and fine brown 
sandstone. From McClure site in the Dewey Collection. 




Dewey Collection. 




PLATE XVI. P.rass iiny>^ Ifom gruves on .Alei'luie site. 
Dewey Collection. 




PLATE XVII. Brass 
Collection. 



crucifixes from the Mc-Clure site in the Dewey 




"j**^*!' 



_^ . . 1 —- -A 



I 



/:; 


















« 











V-i«==-' 




P,,.Tf) XVUI. u,a.» „u.aa,» „<..„ .ho McC.«ra .»» In the Dew.y 
Collection. 




PLATK XiX. (Jlass bottle from a grave on the McOlure tiite iM the 
Dewey Collection. 




PL,ATE XX. Articles of unknown use made of slatt 
Algonkian orig-in. Dewey Collection. 



The.se an 




l*L\TK XXI. Maskette carved from coarse sandstone. Dewey 
< 'ollcction. 



THB NEW YORK STATE ARCHEOLOGICAL 
ASSOCIATION. 

Lewis H. Morgan Chapter. 

The object of this Chapter shall be to promote 
historical study and intelligent research covering the 
artifacts, rites, customs, beliefs and other phases of 
the lives of the aboriginal occupants of New York 
State up to and including contact with the whites; to 
preserve the mounds, ruins and other evidences of 
these people, and to co-operate with the State Associa- 
tion in effecting a wider knowledge of New York State 
Archeology, and to help secure legislation for needed 
ends. Also to maintain sympathetic appreciation of 
the history of the American Indianfi, particularly of 
those now resident in New York State, to the end that 
all of their ancient wrongs and grievances may be 
righted agreealbly to their just desires both as to 
property and citizenship. 

Also to publish papers covering the results of 
field work of members or other matters within the 
purview of the Chapter. 

All persons interested in these subjects are invited 
to become caembers of the Association or of the local 
Chapter nearest to them. 

The Association and its Chapters plan to issue a 
uniform series of transactions and researches covering 
all fields consistent with the objects of the Association. 

All members of the Association or of its constituent 
Chapters are issued a memibership certificate suitaible 
for framing and a pocket memibership card serving as 
an introduction In the field where collecting Is 
contemplated. 

The Association is approved by the State Education 
Department, University of the State of New York, and 
is working in co-operation with the State Museuca. 

Address all correspondence to Alvin H. Dewey, 
Box 185. Rochester, N. Y., or Walter H. Cassebeer, 
84 Exchange St., Rochester, N. Y., or Arthur C. 
Parker, M. S., State Museum, Albany, N. Y. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 



014 107 563 9 



